A family of 4 killed in a New Year’s Day helicopter crash in northern Alberta
EDMONTON – A family of four died after a helicopter crash in a field in North Alberta on New Year’s Day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
Spirit River RCMP says it responded to a signal from an emergency site transmitter in the Birch Hill County area, about 100 kilometers northeast of the Grand Prairie, around 8:50 PM on January 1.
A representative from the Tranportation Safety Board told CTV News that the helicopter’s flight path is unknown and it is not clear where it departed or where it was headed.
Fire Chief Tom Morgan of Birch Hills County said he was among the first responders to reach the scene of the accident, which killed four people.
He said he found the helicopter lying in a wide open crop field with no survivors.
“At the moment, the Birch County Fire Department and Birch Hills County as a whole, our hearts are with the family and friends who lost loved ones in this tragic accident,” said Morgan.
Montez found that the Robinson R44 had crashed in a farmer’s field near Range Road 10 and Township Road 771.
The four passengers, who police said were adults and two children, were killed in the accident.
The Mounties have secured the area and are waiting for TSB and OSH inspectors to arrive later on Saturday afternoon.
With a file from the Canadian press
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